Pressure receptacle closure



. Nov. 16, 1943.

2,334,448 A. F. SHERIDAN RREssURE RECEPTAGLE CLOSURE Filed Dec. 9, 1940Z SheetS-Sheet 1 lnvEn'tDT' FLFS heri d an 16, 1 A. .F. SHERIDAN I2,334,443

PRESSURE RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed Dec. 9, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 z /0v I 2 A v 11:2: i: 6 I l I. ":1. u /4( Patented Nov. 16, 1943 Albert F.Sheridan, Manitowoc, Wis.

Application December -9, 1940, Serial No. 369,293

2 Claims. (01. 220-61) This invention relates to closures for pressurereceptacles, which, for the purpose of explanation, will be illustratedand described in connection with a pressure sauce pan, utilized in steamcooking.

Heretofore, in clamping and sealing covers upon receptacles in whichpressure is generated, it has been customary to employ a plurality ofmanually operable clamps, or expansible peripheral wedges, all of whichare costly, and require awkward and tedious operations in both thelooking and removal of the covers.

The present invention has primarily for its object to overcome theforegoing objections by the provision of an exceedingly simplifiedmechanism for effectively clamping and sealing a cover upon a receptaclethrough actuation of a single locking element, annularly shiftable withrelation to both the cover and receptacle.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object resides in theprovision of a locking mechanism comprising a ring rotatable on thecover and receptacle, and functioning in connection with inclinedsurfaces disposed between the cover and receptacleto effectlocking andsealing of the cover on its seat.

A still further object is to provide a locking mechanism of theforegoing type, which requires the seal between the cover and receptacleto be broken for venting pressure within thereceptacle prior to removalof the cover.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction,combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, itbeing understood-that such changes in the precise embodiment of .theherein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example ofthe'physical embodiment of the present invention constructed ace cordingto the best mode so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples thereof.

In the 'drawings:'

Figure l is an elevational view of a pressure sauce pan with partsbroken away and in section, and showing the cover in raised position;

Figure 2 is a plan viewwith parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line t-tof Figure l, with thecover seated on the receptacle; I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modifled form of the invention;and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to. the accompanying drawings, thenumeral I designates.

a receptacle, which in the present instance comprises a sauce pan, orcooking utensil. The receptacle is provided with an open top having aninternal tapered seat 2 for reception of a cover 3, provided with adepending flange 4, and an external taper 5 for sealing engagement withthe.

seat 2.

The cover 3 is also provided with an annular peripheral flange 6disposed above the taper l5, and equipped with the usual pressure gaugeI and relief valve 8.

Mounted on the cover 3 is a lock ring 9, the upper, inturned flange illof which is supported on the top of the flange 6. To shiftably retainthe ring 9 on the cover flange 6, the flange ID of the ring is providedwith spaced, arcuate, keyhole slots H for reception'of screws !2threaded into the flange.

Extending inwardly from the lower edge of the lock ring 9 are a,plurality of spaced fingers l3, while the top of the receptacle l'isprovided with a plurality of peripheral, spaced, external flanges It,the lower surfaces of which form inclined planes. To seat the cover 3 onthe receptacle,-the fingers l3 of the angle ring 9 are alined with thespaces l5 between the flanges M, and after the cover is positioned onits seat and slightly rotated in a counterclockwise direction, thefingers i3 engage the inclined surfaces of the flanges I l to hold thecover upon the receptacle.

It is old in the art to lock and bind a cover upon a receptacle by meansof inclined surfaces engaged by fingers, but in such structures actualbinding and sealing of the cover on its seat depends solely upon manualrotation of the cover by means of its handle, and in practice it isfound that the leverage is such as to prevent obtaining a tight, seal.

Therefore; a salient feature of the invention resides in the lockingmechanism including the ring 9, which permitsthe engaging fingers l3 tobe shifted independently of the cover by means of various types oflevers.

In the preferred form of the invention, a portion of the ring 9 is.provided with rack teeth l6 formed on its lower edge, while thereceptacle is provided with a boss, I] for reception of a handle l8, inwhich a shaft 19 is journaled. Secured upon the inner end of the shaftIS in vertical alinement with the rack teeth i6 is a pinion 2ll, whilethe outer end of the shaft is provided with a hand wheel 2i for rotationof the pinion 20.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner end of the boss I! isnotched out at I1 to expose the top' of the pinion 20. Consequently,when the cover is seated on the receptacle, the rack teeth iii arealined for engagement with the pinion 2|! upon rotating the ring withrelation to both the cover and receptacle.

While the ring 9 may be formed in any desired manner, in the presentinstance the same is constructed from a. strip of channel iron formedinto a ring with its abutted edges 22 welded together. At this point, aplate 23 is welded to the outer face of the ring, which serves not onlyto reinforce the welded ends ofthe ring, but also increases the width ofthat portion of the ring in which the rack teeth l6 are formed.

The lower flange of the ring is blanked out to provide the engagingfingers l3. It will, thereis shifted on the flange 6 to aline theenlarged openings in the keyhole slots II with the heads of the screwsl2, thusa'llowing the ring to be lifted from the flange.

In operation, the cover 3, which is manipulated by a handle 24, isplaced in the position shown in Figure l,-in which the fingers arealined with the spaces I5 between the flanges l4, and

the rack teeth positioned to one side of the pinion 20, at best shown inFigure 4. The cover is then slightly rotated to shift the'flngers l3under the flanges i4, during which operation the pinion 20 is engaged bythe teeth 16 of the looking ring. When the cover has been rotatedsufficiently to bring the fingers l3 into engagement with the inclinedfaces of the flanges i4,

at which point the teeth I6 are engaged by the pinion, final pressure isplaced upon the cover by rotating the hand wheel 2|, causing the lookingring 9 to be further shifted to force the looking fingers i3 against theinclined faces of the flanges Hi. The cover is then urged down upon theseat 2 to effectively seal the receptacle against pressure generatedtherein, and determined by the setting of the relief valve 8.

The position of the cover for proper seating on the receptacle isfacilitated by an indication 26 provided on the cover for alinement withthe boss I1. I

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 and 6,instead of utilizing a rack and pinion for annuiarly shifting thelooking ring 9, a lever 21 provided with a hand grip 28 is pivotallyconnected to the cover 3' adjacent its edge by a threaded stud 84 andfriction washer 34'. The lever 21 has a longitudinal slot 29 formedtherein for reception of a pin. 30, carried by a plate 3| welded to theouter face of the ring 9. To limit movement of the lever 21 in onedirection, for the purpose hereinafter explained, the cover 3' isprovided with an abutment 35, which forms a stop. The receptacle l isprovided with a conventional boss 82 for reception of a handle 33. 4

Aside from the means for actuating the ring 8 in the modified form ofthe invention, the operation is the same as heretofore explained inconnection with the preferred form of the in= vention, the locking andsealing operation being effected by swinging the lever 21 to theposition indicated in dotted lines'in Figure 5, which, through itsconnection with the plate 3|, serves to shift the ring 9 for engagementof the fingers the cover and receptacle.

l3 with the inclined faces of the flanges ll of .the receptacle.

From the foregoing explanation considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be readily seen that a simple form ofclosure lock has been provided for quickly clamping and sealingthe coveron the receptacle through a single operation, the actuating means beingsuch. as to provide sufficient leverage for effecting a tight seal withminimum effort upon the Part of the operator. As set forth in thepreceding objects, during the initial releasing movement of the lockingring 9, pressure contained within the receptacle tends to raise thecover and break the seal, thus venting the pressure. At the same time,the cover is prevented from being blown from the tank and injuring theoperator, inasmuch as the fingers l3 are still positioned under theflanges l4. After the seal has been broken, further rotation of the ringand cover is required, in order to remove the latter after venting hasoccurred. While in' those forms of the invention illustrated, thelocking ring is carried by the cover, and the inclined flanges by, thereceptacle, it is to be understood that these elements may be reversedwithout departing from the principle of the invention, and in someinstances the inclined surfaces may be incorporated in the ring ratherthan on either the cover or receptacle, inasmuch as the salient featureof the invention resides in a rotatable locking ring actuated throughany desired type of lever in combination with inclined planes to effectforcing of the cover upon its seat to seal the receptacle.

It is also highly important to the princip e of the invention that theannular locking ring be shiftable a limited amount with relation to bothThis is accomplished in the preferred form of the invention by thelength of the rack l6, and in the modification by the abutment 35.

Attention is also directed to the fact that in both forms of theinvention, shifting of the ring on the releasing operation isinsufficient to clear the fingers l3 from the flanges l4 without furtherrotating the cover, thus insuring complete venting before the cover canbe removed.

I claim:

1. In a pressure cooking receptacle having an annular open top and aseparable cover seated thereon, an annuiarly shiftable locking ringcarried by and removable with said cover for engaging the periphery ofsaid receptacle to seal the cover upon its seat, a manually actuatedpinion carried by the receptacle and having its longitudinal axisdisposed at a right angle to the axis of said ring, and a toothed rackcarried by said ring for engagement with said pinion when the cover ispositioned on the receptacle.

2. In a pressure cooking receptacle having an annular open top andseparable cover seated thereon, an annuiarly shiftable locking ringcarried by and removable with said cover for engaging the periphery ofsaid receptacle to seal the cover upon its. seat, interengaging meansbetween said cover and ring to permit quick detachment of the ring byshifting the same on the cover, a manually actuated pinion carried bythe receptacle and having its longitudinal axis disposed at a rightangle to the axis of said ring,

and a toothed rack carried by said ring for engagement with said pinionwhen the cover is positioned upon a receptacle.

ALBERT F. SHERIDAN.

